Darkest Before the Dawn
by StrifeMe
Summary: It's always darkest before the dawn. Germany's past always comes back to haunt him. Short but sweet. GerFra.


**I'm back! Please enjoy!**

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><p>Germany found it impossible to sleep. Germany always found it hard to sleep. Lying in bed, surrounded only by silence allowed time to remember and Germany had a lot of things to remember.<p>

He thought of Italy and of all the happy times they had shared. He also thought of his calm, Asian friend who seemed to always be there for him. Germany thought of England and all their successful years of friendship before his big mistakes. He also thought of America who wanted him treated fairly in the Treaty of Versailles.

But mostly, he thought of France.

He thought of the wine-loving nation of whom he had inflicted so much pain and destruction upon. He could remember what he was forced to do to the nation like it was yesterday. Germany wished he could turn back time and make sure that World War 1 was never started and that, as a consequence, Hitler would never rise to power and forever destroy the image of Germany.

"_Give up" A voice growled in the dark, "Just give up, France, I've won"_

_France's breath was coming in short gasps and blood was falling into his eyes from a dangerously large wound in his hairline. He didn't have the strength to answer._

"_Well?"_

"_Don't, Germany, please" France managed weakly as he coughed even more blood onto the ground beneath him or maybe onto himself, it was too dark to tell and he couldn't feel anything. He was numb._

"_Give me one good reason" Germany spat._

_France looked up, slowly pried one swollen eye open and whispered "Because I love you"_

Germany covered his eyes with his forearm and clenched his fist at the memory. He couldn't shake those images from his memory at all. They haunted him every waking moment and didn't even grant him respite in his dreams.

The blond stumbled out of his bed and towards the bathroom. He stopped in front of the mirror and quickly shredded his bed shirt.

His bare chest bare witness to Germany's bloody past. On his chest was a Swastika, burned into his skin. That was not the only scar, however. Across his chest and stomach, in diagonal lines, were the terrible rope burns from the Treaty that had so mercilessly tied him down.

"I'm sorry, l'amour" A sweet voice mumbled from behind the German.

Germany looked up into the mirror and then very suddenly looked back down to the sink again. "You should be scared of me, Francis. I don't deserve your love"

France smiled slightly and shook his head, "No, mon amour, that was a long time ago. I love you because you are Ludwig, not because you are Germany"

"I'm a monster, though" Germany whispered, running his calloused palm over the scar, "I invaded your country three times and each time I caused you more and more damage to the point I almost killed you"

"Oui Germany, but I am not without my faults either. I almost killed you as a child and I was the one who so greatly supported the Treaty of Versailles" Francis said, running his soft hands over the rope burns. "Now come back to bed, l'amour"

Germany did as he was told, letting himself be lead back to the bedroom and back to the warm bed he shared with his lover.

"Bonsoir, belle" France mumbled, leaning over to press a sweet kiss to Ludwig's lips that, to his joy, Ludwig returned slightly.

"Ich liebe dich"

That night, Germany dreamt of sweet nothings. Love can, indeed, overcome anything.

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><p><strong>The inspiration for this fanfiction came from Florence and the Machine's new song 'Shake it off'. Its such a beautiful song and I thought it really suited these two! Although GerIta is my favourite pairing involving Germany, Germany and France was my first Hetalia pairing and I can't help but love it. That and we were studying the Treaty of Versailles in History today (YAY FOR GCSE HISTORY!) and I thought it was an appropriate topic...I like my fanfictions Historically accurate<br>**

**Flames will stored in the water bucket, however please point out any grammatical errors. Lord knows I'm crap at Grammar! Yet, I'm in 1 for English? Logic is dead.  
><strong>


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